Wood Group has been awarded the front-end engineering and design contract for a €1.5 billion plant focusing on plastics production using methanol and renewable energy, marking a significant shift towards sustainable construction and lowering the carbon footprint of construction materials. This pioneering approach addresses embodied carbon in materials, providing a model for eco-design for buildings and supporting the industry’s drive for a net zero whole life carbon future. The development...

The UK construction sector is accelerating collaborative efforts to address environmental sustainability in construction, highlighted by leading organisations such as RICS, RTPI, RIBA, and ICE working together at the UKREiiF forum. These groups are uniting to develop whole life carbon assessment methods and sustainable building design strategies that address global built environment challenges. Cross-sector partnerships are increasingly seen as essential for implementing sustainable...

The construction industry is making progress towards decarbonising the built environment. WOOD Group has begun front-end engineering and design for a €1.5 billion plant dedicated to producing fossil-free plastics using methanol and renewable energy. This facility will address the significant embodied carbon in materials for construction, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of construction at the earliest stages of the supply chain and support a circular economy in construction. Industry...

The UK construction industry faces renewed scrutiny over environmental sustainability in construction following warnings from the UK Environmental Watchdog. Concerns centre on the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, with experts saying possible changes could weaken nature protection and set back national biodiversity targets. This debate comes as the industry is under increased pressure to prioritise life cycle thinking in construction, especially as sustainable building practices become...

The UK construction sector is accelerating its sustainability ambitions as industry bodies unite to address global environmental challenges. The recent collaboration between the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and other leading institutes seeks integrated solutions for decarbonising the built environment, prioritising whole life carbon reduction, resilience, and nature protection. Cross-sector efforts now focus on driving down embodied carbon, with a particular emphasis on whole life...

The UK construction sector is accelerating the adoption of sustainable building design with major investments in renewable energy. Voltalia UK’s Eastgate Solar project, backed by green finance, adds 34MW of clean energy capacity and demonstrates a strong shift towards net zero whole life carbon in the built environment. Blenheim Palace Estate’s new 20-acre solar farm reinforces the trend of integrating large-scale renewable energy to support energy-efficient buildings and lower operational...

The UK Government plans to introduce new regulations requiring almost all new-build homes to feature rooftop solar panels from 2027, a significant advancement in sustainable building design. This legislation aims to reduce the carbon footprint of construction and support the national transition to net zero carbon buildings by integrating renewable energy technologies into mainstream building practices. Environmental groups recognise this as a leading example of environmental sustainability in...

The UK construction sector is showing signs of stability and modest growth this year, driven by renewed focus on sustainable construction and increased investment in environmental sustainability in construction. Experts highlight a shift towards whole life carbon assessment and the wider adoption of sustainable building design principles to enhance the sector’s resilience and support the journey to net zero whole life carbon. As construction activity approaches pre-pandemic levels, industry...

The construction sector is advancing rapidly towards environmental sustainability in construction with growing investment in low carbon construction materials and technologies. Queens Carbon’s recent $10 million seed funding is set to transform low-carbon cement manufacturing, aiming to reduce whole life carbon and embodied carbon in the built environment. This mirrors a global shift as the industry intensifies efforts on green building materials and sustainable building practices to support...

Climate resilience and adaptation have become critical in the UK, with the Climate Change Committee highlighting underinvestment in infrastructure and limited progress on whole life carbon reduction. The urgency shapes the path forward for sustainable construction, pushing the sector to integrate whole life carbon assessment, embodied carbon reduction, and life cycle cost optimisation into robust infrastructure and sustainable building design. A national focus on environmental sustainability in...